To say NATIONAL SERVICE?! WT actual F?!

[BarbaraVineFan]

I mean...really?! Rishi really thinks that a plan to BRING BACK NATIONAL SERVICE will get the Tories back in? It's so ridiculous! Do you think he has in fact realised that he is shit at his job and it's actually a cunning plan to ensure that they are booted out?

Tbf that does sound quite interesting and useful on an individual and national basis.

He hasn't announced actual plans, just the intention of a Royal Commission to look in to it.

But if he has £2.5bn to spare then it should be used to boost our armed forces, not to conscript unwilling hobbyists.

So the population wasn't effected enough in 2020 that very rich people are suggesting to send our children to war zones?

Bare in mind that 18 year olds were sat behind a computer 4 years ago and this dramatically effected their opportunities to make friends and experiences, universities were put on hold but now these children are adults they're emotionally developed enough to handle war zones.

Wonder if he'll be sending his family and friends first?

I imagine it's because getting the whole country to do national service would be unworkable from an admin point of view coupled with the fact many people are working and raising children so can't just disappear for a year. Also, older adults might not be fit enough. I couldn't see my parents doing NS (79 and 81)
Also there is a long standing, worldwide precedent for NS at 18.

it isnt compulsory

Another great use of public funds to set up and administer the scheme before it’s abandoned after a few years. Madness.

My dad did compulsory national service and he hated it. It destroyed any public spiritedness he might have had and made him cynical about all governments all his life. If he was still alive he’d be late 80s and definitely wouldn’t vote for it. I’m in my 60s and don’t support it.

How convenient!

But if it’s beneficial for the young then it’s beneficial for all and I’m sure they can set up a scheme in such a way that everyone can participate, particularly those who are so keen on the idea and are now outside the time window proposed. They shouldn’t have to disappear, the scheme should be set up in a way that everyone gets to contribute! People with children could be allocated positions that allow their children to come too! Might as well
play catch up as much as possible for those who missed out at 18, given that long standing precedent hasn’t been applied to the UK for decades.

Maybe my children who have already spent as much time as is being suggested volunteering should be exempt but I haven’t so it’s me that needs to get my arse out the door. I WFH a lot and getting out more into the community would am sure be hugely beneficial.

Maybe you should suggest to Labour they put a NS for all pledge in their manifesto 😂

And why not? Is clearly a vote winner! NS for all! Has a good ring to it. Hopefully KS is in this thread already.

I'd pay good money to see keir vs rishi put NS in their manifesto and debate live whether it should be everyone or just 18 year olds 😁

if my dc were under 18 what about plans for university? would the national service be deferred?
already married?

in any case, i wouldnt want mine to fight in a war, but volunteering, why not, although most of mine would prefer and Need to be earning

He says so. Which is a bit odd if it’s for NEETS. I can’t imagine his kids being unemployed and not going to uni! I’m sure any national service they do will be a cushy internship.

Unless the definition of mandatory has changed recently, it will most definitely be compulsory.

but you wont be compelled,
all hypothetical,
not going to happen

What are the odds that he’d actually get to pick something like that though?

It’s another Rwanda. Designed to appease the Express and Mail readers, massively expensive and will ultimately be a failure.

It wouldn't be compulsory, if they were at university, they wouldn't have to do it.
It would be for NEETS only, and would be substituted by 25 days of voluntary work if they didn't fancy a tour of Basra.

Or, when will these stupid, ignorant, kneejerk threads end. (not you @Willmafrockfit obvs, just the utter fools starting all these threads on something that will never happen, and if it did, would affect about 20% of unemployed older teenagers, if that)

Mandatory if none of the extenuating criteria are fulfilled. Which means hardly anyone would do it.

The vast vast majority of European countries abolished national service in the 80s.

It's really really not coming back.

Going by these threads we are certainly going to have a tonne of young people trained in cybersecurity after this come in. Hopefully the placements for that are unlimited or there’s going to be some deeply disappointed individuals.

Where are you getting your information from? Because everything I have heard and read says ALL 18 year olds.

I’m in my 60s and don’t support it either. Rishi is wrong if he thinks older voters are supportive of this.

(Although I think my dad quite enjoyed his NS).

I think Rishi needs to serve a years worth of Voluntary NS in the military, retail, hospitality, NHS and caring... The whole fucking lot, might knock some common sense into him as he appears to have a serious deficiency in that.

May also force him to pull his head from his ass and realise what a privileged prized twat he is!

Do you have a link to any of the criteria? I haven’t seen that anywhere and I’d be really interested to see it.

I hope you’re right about it coming back. Encouraging kids to volunteer in age appropriate stuff to help the community as part of their studies is one thing (and something I fully support). Spending billions setting up a scheme that is shortsighted at best, is something else. But the Tories have been in for a long time now, and every election there has been cries of ‘their time is up, they’re going’. And every election they’ve clung on by their fingernails. I hope that they lose. But I won’t be betting my house on it. And if they win, it will be coming back.

Funny, because I remember dozens of Mumsnetters saying that exact same thing when the possibility of a lockdown was first mentioned, and look how that turned out?!

These are strange times. Largely the fault of the Tories imo, but I’m not sure I’d rule out anything up to and including an alien invasion and zombie apocalypse.

Also, if it happens and it’s mandatory, of course they’ll be compelled. How else will a mandatory system work? If they don’t compel people then it’s voluntary. And they’re saying it will be mandatory.

And aa you say it's for unemployed 18yrs the why shouldn't they be contributing back to society in this wya until they find a job. Might motivate them more.